Manually manipulatable game board apparatus



Aug. 7, 1951 HOTTE 2,563,334

MANUALLY MANIPULATABLE GAME BOARD APPARATUS Filed Oct. 28, 1947 Patented Aug. 7, 1951 MANUALLY 'MANIPUEATABLE GAME BOARD APPARATUS Edmund Home, Amsterdam, Netherlands Application October 28, 1947, Serial No. 782,609

- r In the Netherlands; December 24, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, AugustS, 194s Patent expires December 24, 1963 Claims..

This invention relates to a game apparatus of the kind' comprising a game surface bounded by upstandingedgcs and being adapted to be adjusted from the horizontal' orinoperative position to positions ,;inclined in all directions by means of a' mechanism connected'the'reto.

A game apparatus of this type should comply with the'highest requirements of adroitness and muscularcontrol. To this-end according to: my

invention the game apparatus is provided with a contr'ol stick, which by a connection movable in all directions is connected to the lower side of the game surface. Therebyan easy maneuverability is' 'obtained, so thateve'n'a heavy" game sg'ur'face is'readily adjustable.

111 a practical embodiment ;o'fEj the game-"apparat 5 according to the invention the game surface is carried by a support disposed underneath the center of gravity of said surface and at its lower end secured to a beam by means of a resilient or other connection movable in all directions, said beam at its other end carrying the control lever vertically connected thereto by a resilient or other connection movable in all directions, the support and the control lever being hingedly interconnected in such a manner that when operating the control lever, inclined positions corresponding to the positions of the control lever will be imparted to the game surface.

ihe invention also relates to a toy, such as a skier, a bobsieigh or another figure for use with a game apparatus as hereinafter described in more detail.

According to the invention the toy is mounted on at least one bail and on a slide determining the direction of movement.

The ball in combination with the slide ensures the movement of the figure over the game surface in the direction corresponding to the inclined position of the game surface which is imparted thereto. Where the slide is omitted the path of movement of the toy is less definite. Where the slide is used without a ball the movement is still less definite.

According to the invention a practical embodiment of the slide may comprise one or more runner members, between which the ball or balls may be received so as to be movable in all directions.

The invention will be more fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention by way of example, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a game apparatus according to the invention in which the I. I: V 2 'r game surface is shown in"full-1ines in the'lnoperative position and-in dotted lines intwo in clined positions; Fig.2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; a

fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transversesectlonal view l--4 ofFig. 2. 4

Reference character I- denotes the game surface which is bounded by upstanding edges 2.

-on line The game surface' i's' ca'rriedby-a block-shaped support '3 1n the center 'of the game'surfac," said support at its lower end'being connected to a T-shaped beam 5 by means'of'a helical-spring 4. At the other end of this beam 'a'controldev'er 6 is located which by'means of a helical spfing l is connected to the beam. The control lever E and the support 3 of the game surface I are interconnected by a bar 8, which at one end is provided with a forked portion 9 embracing the lower end of the support 3, and at the other end is provided with a forked portion 9 embracing the lower end of the control lever B. The support 3 and the control lever 6 are secured to the bifurcated ends of the bar 8 by means of pins I0 and Ill so as to'be angularly shiftable in the longitudinal direction of the game surface and rockable under the action of springs 4 and l transversely of the game surface. One end of the game surface I is provided with a lug ll having a slot I2 through which the control lever 6 extends. As the control lever is adapted to be moved in all directions about its point of attachment at the helical spring I and its fulcrum H3 the game surface I connected thereto by the bar 8 and the support 3 will follow said movements and will successively occupy positions inclined in all directions and corresponding to the positions of the control lever.

On the game surface flag poles IS with flags are mounted. The dotted line 11 indicates by way of example a path along which by manipulating the control lever B a toy may be caused to move over the game surface.

On the game surface obstacles may be arranged and in connection therewith game rules may be formulated, making the outcome of the game dependent on the overcoming of various difficulties requiring an adroitness obtainable after sufiicient exercise.

By reason of the universal adjustability of the game surface the toys may be made to describe various capriciously shaped paths, e. g. a skifigure a slalom.

The toys such as the composite ball and slide 3 toys hereinbefore described may be mounted on game surface I and the surface so manipulated that at any change in the inclined position of the game surface, however small it may be, the toy will .be moved-,overthis surface in avdirection determined by; the position imparted to the game surface.

I claim: 4

X 1. Game apparatus comprising a base support, a helical spring mounted centrally ofssaid base support and projecting vertically upward therefrom, a block carried by the upper end of said helical spring, a second helical spring mounted on said base support in longitudinal alignment with said first mentioned helical spring in a position spaced therefrom, said second helical spring projecting vertically upwardly1from said base support, a manually actuated control lever secured to the upper end of said second mentioned helical spring, a longitudinally extending bar-pivotally connected between said block and -said'control lever, a game board having a substantially plane surface mounted on said block and extending irrspaced relation to said bar, said game board having a slotted portion at one end through which said control lever extends where- 'by'movement of said control lever on said second mentioned helical spring imparts a universally tilting -movement-"to said game board with respectito said first mentioned helical spring. 2;:Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which} said baris provided with a fork at each end thereof and a pin extending through said .block andthrough said control lever and pivotally engaging the forks on the ends of said bar.

- 3. Gameapparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said base support is T-shaped and extends in a horizontal plane and wherein said first mentioned helical spring is located at the junction of the transverse and longitudinally extending portions of the T-shaped support and wherein said second mentioned helical spring is located at the extremity of the longitudinally extending portion of the T-shaped support.

4. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said first mentioned helical spring is embedded at one end in said base support and is embedded at the opposite end in the base of said block and wherein said second helical spring is embedded at one end in said base support and at the other end in the bottom of said control lever.

5. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the slotted portion of same game board provides a lost motion connection with the sides of said control lever which extends through the game board. v

EDMUND H6TTE;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

